How to #testkitchen: Wilted Zucchini & Spinach Tart with Creamy Pesto

Today in the #testkitchen is a recipe for Wilted Zucchini & Spinach Tart with Creamy Pesto

Welcome to #testkitchen – where I find random recipes on the web worth working on 🙂 Customizing other recipes helps you to learn how to make your own to fit your nutritional needs.

ProTip:

First with flavor, technique later

Things can fall apart (literally) when you start to adjust the techniques of a recipe. So start with seasoning, it’s much easier to recover in case something goes wrong. After you make it a few times adjust the texture to your liking.

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Wilted Zucchini & Spinach Tart with Creamy Pesto

Description

Raw Chef extraordinaire Sarahfae of Addicted to Veggies recommends this savory tart recipe if you are looking for something new and fun to share with your friends at a summer barbecue or picnic! Even the fussiest eaters will like this recipe, and you don’t have to be down with raw foods to thoroughly enjoy the delicious flavors of this recipe’s buttery flax crust, creamy carrot-top pesto, soft and richly flavorful caramelized onions, tender wilted zucchini, and fresh spinach and tomatoes!

Ingredients

At a glance

Entrées & Main Dishes

Makes

4-5 tarts

Tender/Wilted Zucchini

1 Medium sized Zucchini is enough for one tart crust

Easy Raw Vegan Tart Crust: Wet Ingredients

2 Tbsp Flax seed meal

3 Tbsp Water

**2 Tbsp AtV Sour Cream

Dry Ingredients

2 c Almond Flour

1 tsp Nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp Salt

Pepper to taste (optional)

Creamy Carrot-top & Chive Pesto

1/4 c Almonds

1/4 c Macadamia Nuts

1 c packed Carrot-tops

1/2 c Chive //or//Green Onion

1 Tbsp minced Garlic

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Water

*1/4 c Grape seed Oil //or// EV Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Salt

*Set the Oil aside (don’t add it yet!) and proceed to puree all of the above ingredients together

3) Proceed to warm/dry the tart crust for 1 hour at 118 degrees F. After it’s finished warming/drying let it cool on the counter for an additional 30 minutes

Step 3: Creamy Carrot-top & Chive Pesto

2) Combine the rest of your ingredients with the nuts, slowly drizzly in your oil until mixed.

Step 4: Raw Caramelized Leeks

1) Whisk everything together and transfer to your Leeks

2) Cover and let it sit in your fridge to marinate/tenderize for at least an hour (over night is even better)

Warming/Wilting your Leeks:

Spread the Leeks evenly out onto a dehydrator sheet or parchment lined baking sheet and warm/wild for 45 minutes at 118 degrees F. Your finished Leek should be slightly wilted, tender and yummy!

**AtV Sour Cream

1) Soak 1 and 3/4 cups *dry Cashews overnight (roughly 6 to 8 hours)

2) Puree all of the above for 2 minutes until you have a thick and oily paste

3) Scrape the bottom and sides of your food processor as some of the Cashew mixture may begin to collect.

4) Leave everything in your food processor and move on to the next step.

5) While your food processor is “On” proceed to stream in:

6) 1/4 cup of water and puree for 1 minute

7) Proceed to add the rest of your water in 1/4 cup increments

8) Let your processor puree for 30 seconds in between EACH 1/4 cup of water added. This means you will be adding 1/4 cup of water 5 times until you have added the total 1 and 1/4 cup of water that the recipe calls for. Your finished product will be a fairly thin consistency, and it will need time to chill and set in the fridge for at least an hour. After your Sour Cream has chilled it will have thickened into the perfect consistency. Store Sour Cream in an air tight container and it will last for up to three weeks in your fridge. You can also divide it in small batches and it will keep for up to three months in your freezer.

Step 5: Tart Assembly

1) Chiffonade or roughly chop up some Spinach (as much as you’d like to pile onto your tart). Spread on layer of pesto, a layer of zucchini, carmalized leeks, and a generous amount of spinach chiffonade and wilted cherry tomatoes (optional). Eat it Warm or Chilled: You can transfer this whole tart back into either the dehydrator or oven and warm it for an hour, or eat it as-is/chilled.